The Story of My Faith and Fandoms

October

Lots of people look forward to certain seasons. Schoolchildren count the days to summer. Many corporations and television networks count down to Christmas. Baseball fans look forward to springtime. But my favorite season is and always will be autumn. Unlike everyone getting on the pumpkin spice bandwagon, however, I have my own reasons for loving October.

1) So. Many. Feast Days!

St. Therese of Lisieux, the Feast of the Guardian Angels, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and the feast of St. Faustina all took place within the last few days. October also has the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and Fatima, St. Teresa of Avila, and Popes Saint John XXIII and John Paul II. And that’s just naming a handful of feasts! November may have All Saints Day, but so many famous saints have their feast days in October. It almost makes me wish that October was dedicated to the saints.

2) Halloween

Of all the holidays on the calendar, Halloween is still my favorite. Horror movies, nostalgic Halloween specials, costumes, and candy! What’s not to love? Oh yeah, the fact that a lot of Christians see Halloween as associated with the devil and the occult. I’ll be doing a post about the Dos and Don’ts of Halloween later this month. But for now, all I’ll say is that for me, Halloween is the day of revelry. I learned in college that there were days devoted to merry-making as a reminder to not take ourselves seriously. And for me, Halloween is that day. Not everyone can go to conventions, after all.

3) Rosary Month

October is also the month of the Rosary. I have been praying at least a decade every day since the month started. I still remember watching a children’s movie centering on Our Lady of Fatima and the children of Fatima. In all honesty, I still struggle with praying the Rosary. But praying a decade every day is a good start.

4) So. Many. Birthdays.

Today is my dad’s birthday. I’ve been busy celebrating Dad’s big 6-0 all weekend. Some of my relatives from the East Coast came to visit. It was my aunt’s birthday as well. On my Mom’s side of the family, we’re going to be celebrating my grandmother’s big 99th. My grandfather on my mother’s side, God rest his soul, was also born in October.

5) TV Specials and Movies

Aside from the awesome Halloween Specials, many TV shows sometimes premiere in this month. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing Supergirl for the first time. I’m also catching up on The Flash as best as I can. A lot of movies are also premiering this month. While I’m tentative about Goosebumps and Hotel Transylvania 2, Bridge of Spies and Steve Jobs are intriguing me. And btw, whatever you do, avoid Jem and the Holograms. It’s not gonna be worth the price of admission.

6) Special Drinks

While I avoid anything with the Pumpkin Spice label due to my allergies, the cooler weather allows me to enjoy some dairy free hot chocolate courtesy of Burnham and Mills Silly Cow Farms Hot Chocolate Drinks. I also make more tea during this time of year. My personal favorite is English Breakfast Tea.

7) Cooler Weather

After living in Texas for almost a decade, I have learned that there are just two seasons in my side of Texas: rainy season (starts around October thru February or March) and hot/humid (the rest of the year). It took me a while, but I eventually became what you call a pluviophile, a lover of rain. It’s a peaceful sound, especially during this time of year. Things are starting to cool down here. Mornings have become cool and eventually, things will be cool throughout the day. And while I sadly don’t get to watch the leaves changing color like I did as a kid, feeling a cool breeze in the morning has become my new favorite thing.

8) Baseball/Football

October is the time of the playoffs and world series for baseball. Currently, the Houston Astros are doing surprisingly well. They’re gonna face off against the Yankees tonight. I’ll be rooting for both teams, but I’m honestly hoping the Astros will get to go all the way. They were the first team I got to watch live, after all.

Football, of course, is also going on. It took me a while to actually like it. In all honesty, I love high school and college football as opposed to the professional stuff. And I still don’t understand fantasy football. But there is something about watching a local football game. There’s still a little bit of Miss School Spirit in me, after all.

9) Local Festivals and Plays

In Texas, there is a lot more than Oktoberfest going on. Back when I lived on-campus, there were a lot of festivals going on. Many parishes hold fall festivals around this time of year. My college hosted an Italian Festival and the Greek Orthodox school next door holds Greek Fests every year. My school’s drama department also premiers its fall play around this month. Last year, I got to see them do Romeo and Juliet. Check out your local university’s drama department to see what they’re showing. It’s always good to support local theatre.

10) My Buffyversary

It all started two years ago. I had an anxiety attack. My first one in months. I needed to watch something, anything, to take my mind off things. I opened my laptop, picked a show about a blonde girl with the power to fight vampires, and clicked “Play.” October was when I first watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I haven’t been the same since.

So, starting today, I’ll be posting a recap of my Top 10 Favorite Buffy Episodes. With rumors of a new Twilight book being released, it’s time that people learn what real vampires are really like.

So why should you check out my recaps and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Because it’s not really about the monsters or the magic. It’s about dealing with problems that come with growing up. It’s about the characters you love and love to hate and wish you were real. It’s about the emotional catharsis that this show gave to me and many others.

There will be fangirling and feels in the days ahead. You have been warned.